FAITH, BEAUTY AND DEVOTION - Overview

The largest exhibition of art from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Periods to be assembled in Miami from a private art collection is heading to South Florida this fall. Faith, Beauty, and Devotion: Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque Paintings is being organized by Mr. Federico Gandolfi Vannini, a fourth-generation art dealer and owner of Frascione Arte in Florence, Italy, his wife Mrs. Daisy Diaz (a native South Floridian) as the Cultural Director of the Gallery, and Mrs. Sylvie Daubar-San Juan, Humanities Department Chairperson and Director of the Olga M. & Carlos A. Saladrigas Art Gallery at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School.

“This collection from Italy, now arriving in America for the first time, is the embodiment of our family’s constant and passionate pursuit of representations of beauty and history,” comments Vannini. “Belen Jesuit, with its tradition of faith, is the ideal setting to highlight the intrinsic meaning of the work of art: its Divine message.” The Frascione Fine Art Collection was founded in 1893 by Enrico Frascione, Vannini’s great-grandfather.

Art lovers will welcome a “glimpse of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods” in Miami. Additionally, Vannini and Diaz offer a wealth of knowledge and insights that expose the hidden mysteries behind meticulously preserved paintings that have selectively transferred hands from the original patrons to private collectors and museums in Europe, East Asia, and the United States.

“We are honored to host such an impressive collection of art at Belen Jesuit,” said Fr. Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, S.J., President of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. “From the perspective of an educator, this is an exciting opportunity for our students to see works of art in person. From an art aficionado perspective, I’m incredibly excited to see firsthand not only the religious art that will be part of this exhibition but the other paintings as well. We are fortunate to have the Olga M. & Carlos A. Saladrigas Art Gallery on our campus and look forward to welcoming the community to see this fantastic exhibition.”